CREAMED PEAS AND MY PEA TALE

A few years back we had to go to Florida to pick up my son from a summer collage corase. We stopped in Ga. to stay at a motel and rest and when we were leaving there was a farmers market near it so we went to it to get me some fresh Collard Greens. They had these big long purple things that looked like beans. So being from Ky. I thought I knew all about beans as we have a garden almost ever year. I ask this lady what kind of beans those were. She looked at me like I had lost it and said, honey, those are not beans they are peas. I said peas. I have never seen any peas that look like that. They are purple hull peas and you shell them out and fix them like beans. Boy was I embarrased. But here in Ky. we don't grow those type of peas. We grow salad peas like the canned ones in the store. But trust me fresh creamed peas are so good. So if you happend to be where you can get any get you about 4 lbs. and cook them like pinto beans. They are so good. There is the purple hull pea and the lady peas or black eye peas.

3-4 Cups Fresh Cream Peas or frozen Purple Hull Peas or Dried or Frozen Black Eyed Peas
6 Slices Salt Pork, cut up
Water
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper


In a large kettle add the peas. If they are dried peas look them and then wash before putting them in the kettle. Add water to come up over the top of them. Add the salt pork. Cook on medium high for 1 to 2 hous or until tender. Taste when done and add the salt on the last 20 minutes if they are not salty enough then add the pepper. Eat with the hot water cornbread fritters. You can find the frozen peas at Walmart or the dried ones there to. But fresh peas are the best. It takes a lot when you buy them as you have to shell them out.

HOT WATER CORNMEAL CAKES

2 Cups Plain Yellow Cornmeal
11/2 Teaspoons Salt
2 Cups Boiling Hot Water
1 to 2 Cups Canola Oil
1-2 Tablespoons Bacon Grease

In  a medium bowl mix together the cornmeal and salt. Don't add any baking powder to this. Add enough hot water so that is will be like a thick pancake batter. It has to be just right to get it to stick together. Make sure you stir it good as it will have more flavor the more you stir it. It should look like creamy mashed potatoes.Then get a heavy bottomed skillet or a iron skillet and pour the oil in. If you like the flavor of bacon grease you can add it to the oil. Get it good and hot. It needs to be at least half a skillet full. Don't let it get to hot or smoke as it will brown to quick and the cornbread will taste scorched. Take a spoon and spoon about four different spoonfuls in the oil. Do not let them touch each other. Fry them in the oil for around five minutes. Let them get crisp and golden brown. Turn them once. Take out and let drain on a paper towel. These are good with a recipe I will put on of creamed peas. You might be able to handle these with your hands and shape into fritters. But I just use a large tablespoon for them. I don't like them shaped like hushpuppies tho. I like them more like a small fried pie type design. Good to eat with fresh green beans and a big piece of onion and home grown tomato or creamed peas.

POP TART SMORE'S COOKIES

1/2 Cup Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
2 Squares Unsweetened Chocolate(2oz.) melted and cooled
3/4 Cup Buttermilk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1/34 Cups Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Chopped S'mores Pop-Tarts 
Mix shortening, sugar, egg and chocolate thouroughly. Stir in buttermilk
and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix flour with baking soda and salt, mix in with wet mixture. Fold in the pop-tart pieces. Let the dough chill for at least a hour. Heat the oven to 400F. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart on a sprayed or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until no imprint remains when lightly touched. Let sit  5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

JIFFY MIX APPLESCOTCH COOKIES

1 Box Jiffy Apple Cinnamon Muffin MIx
1 Tablespoon Instant Butterscotch Pudding
1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg

2 Tablespoons Quick Cooking Oats
1 Tablespoon Butter or Marg. softened
1 Egg
1/3 Cup Butterscotch Pieces

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a Baking Sheet. In a bowl mix together the mffin mix, pudding and nutmeg. Cut in sofened marg or butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Next add the oats. Mix in the egg until well blended. Add butterscotch pieces. Roll into 3/4 to 1 inch balls and place on the cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges.

EASY SUMMER GREEK SALAD

1 or 2 Cucumbers, peeled and deseeded and diced
1/2 Cup Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 Cup or more Feta Cheese, crumbled
1/2 Red Onion, diced

1/4 Cup Sliced Pitted Black Olives or more to taste
Vinaigrette:
1Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 Small Garlic Clove, finely minced
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large bowl, mix all of the salad ings. together. Set aside while you make up the vinaigrette. In another medium bowl mix everthing but the olive oil. Wisking constantly, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the other ings. until everything is mixed well. Mix some of the vinaigrette into the vegetables to taste. Seve with a baguette. If you have any left over vinaigrette it can be used over sliced tomatoes and is real good served over round sliced moz. cheese and then a piece of tomato and then the dressing. This salad is good after it has set in the ref. for awhile for the flavors to blend together good.

NEEDING A BREAK

Have you ever had so much on your plate that you would just like to take a break from everything in life and have some quite time by yourself like a small child has. I think if anyone does it is me. lol. Between help moving my daughter and now my son is needing mom in the fall for the same thing. I just need that break. My mother-in-law broke her foot and is very sick and we have to help take care of her and now all the garden is in to take care of it just seems like you never have time to get everything done that needs to be done on a certain day.
With the heat being so hot in Ky. you about have to stay inside all day and when you are used to getting out working around the yard it makes you say hay the house if for winter not summer to. lol.
Would you like to have a hospital stay at your home and just lay in the bed for two or three days and watch t.v. or read a good book. I sure would. But life had to go on no matter how tired you are. It's babysitting time this week for me and corn to be taken care of so I guess the only time for oneself is in your sleep and then you have so much on your mind that you need to get done that you can't relax and go to sleep until the early morning hours. Oh well it is just summer time blues. Then we get the winter time cabin fever blues and say help when is Spring getting here. Life is just a big rush for everyone now that we just don't have time anymore for one another or go check on the sick folk and visit awhile or even go to church like you should. I guess we all just need to slow down and smell the roses.......

THE CREAMEST EVER MACARONI AND CHEESE

1Lb. Box Dried Elbow Macaroni

4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

4 Tablespoons Flour

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon Paprika

1/4 Teaspoon Dry Mustard

2 Cups Milk

2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Put a large pot on the stove and fill half full with water and bring to a boil using high heat. Add the macaroni. Let cook. In another kettle on low heat melt the butter. While the butter is melting, measure out and combine the flour, salt, pepper, paprika and dry mustard in a small dish or bowl. When butter has melted, add the flour mixture to the butter and use a whisk to combine to make your roux. Continue whisking and slowly add the milk, wisking to combine all the ings. Turn up the heat just a little and wisking often, thicken the mixture. It might bubble but don't let it boil just thicken. When thickened, remove from the heat and add the shredded cheese using the wisk to combine and break up the cheese.

Drain the macaroni but do not rinse as the starch helps the cheese stick to the noodles. Place in a large bowl and pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni and stir to coat well. Serve while this is hot. Can use american cheese, cheddar or swiss cheese for the sauce. I like to use the american cheese.